Skin Cancer Treatment
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach to skin cancer treatment. The treatment that best suits you is a balance of what is most effective to treat the cancer, with what is going to give the best cosmetic result, have the least impact on your lifestyle and cause the least discomfort.
It is important to discuss your case with your dermatologist, as many factors influence which treatment is the best for you. These factors include your age and general health, the type and severity of the skin cancer, the body site affected and the potential need for future treatment.
Skin cancer can be treated “medically” i.e. with creams or light, or “surgically” i.e. by cutting or laser. A list of medical and surgical treatments are given below:
Medical Treatment
- 5-fluorouracil cream (Efudix®)
- Imiquimod cream (Aldara ®)
- Photodynamic therapy (Metvix ® PDT)
Surgical Treatment
- Liquid nitrogen cryotherapy
- Liquid nitrogen is applied to the skin, using cotton bud applicator or with a spray gun. This is an excellent treatment for mild skin cancer or pre-cancerous skin changes. The skin feels very cold for a few seconds, then becomes red and swollen. Typically, the skin growth falls off within two weeks, leaving new skin in it's place.
- Curettage and electrodessication
- This is also an ideal "minimally invasive" surgical method for small skin cancers and precancerous skin changes. A small amount of local anaesthetic is injected into the skin which becomes numb. Then, the skin growth is gently scraped off, after which the area is cauterised. The growth that has been removed is sent for laboratory analysis.
- Laser ablation (selected cases only)
- Excisional surgery
- This is the mainstay of treatment for skin cancer. This method allows the skin cancer to be cut out and the resulting wound is usually closed with stitches. Great care is taken to provide patients with an excellent scar and minimal inconvenience from the procedure.
- Mohs micrographic surgery
- This is a highly specialised form of surgery which is used for skin cancers on the face, and occasionally other body sites. It offers a high rate of cure and minimizes the amount of skin which needs to be removed, altghough it is not used to treat melanoma.